Electrical switch



mm 31, 1931. H. E. N R EL 1,798,751

ELECTRI CAL SWITCH Filed July 9, 1926 a'llllrlllln-wl.

Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IBLAIEIJRII E. NORVIEL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'I'O DIELCO-REMY CORPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01' DELAWARE ELECTRICAL SWITCH Application filed July 9,

provide a ratchet-type switch which is compact and simple in construction, and which may be constructed at low cost from relatively thin sheet material, and to provide for operating such a switch by a foot-operated device so constructed and arranged that excessive pressure upon the foot-operated device will not be transmitted to the relatively-lightweight switch parts, causing them to be damage Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings: 4

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a switch embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 35 of Fig. 1, the switch parts being shown in end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2, some of the switch parts being shown in side elevation;

F Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is a development of a sectional view taken on the dot-and-dash-line circle 5 in Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are front and side views, respectively of a switch ratchet;

Figs. 8 and 9 are front and side views, respectively, of the movable contact of the switch; and

Fig. 10 is an inside view of the switch. ter-' mined and stationary contact support, showing the stationary contacts attached thereto.

, Referring to the drawings, the switch comprises a relatively rigid mounting bracket 35 which includes integral plates 20 and 21 which are located at right angles to each other. A cup-shaped switch case 22 is attached by rivets 23 to the plate 21. The plate 20 and the up er side 24 of the case 22 are pro vided with ahgned apertures. through which an operating rod 25 may extend. The rod 25 is supported for endwise movement by a guide 26 having a shank 27 extending through the opening in the plate 20 and flared at 28 against the underside of the plate. The rod 25 is attached at its upper end to a pedal member or cap 29, and the rod is maintained normally in the position shown, b a spring 30 located between cap 29 and a auge 31 provided by the guide 26. Normally, a flange 32, provided'by the rod 25, is maintained in engagement with the guide 26 owing to the tendency of the spring 30 to elongate. The plate 20 is provided with apertured cars 33 adapted to be mounted upon and secured to a suitable rigid support, such as the floorboard of an automotive vehicle.

The open end of the case is closed by a nonconducting cover or terminal block 40, which is provided with notches 41 for receiving tangs 42 extending from the switch case 22..

As shown in Fig. 3, these tangs 42 may be bent against the outer surface of the block in order to secure the block to the case 22. The block 40 supports terminal post 43, and terminal rivets 44 and 45, said rivets being connected, respectively, with switch contacts 46 and 47 These contacts arelocated within a circular groove 49, the bottom of which is defined by six equidistant serrations or teeth 50. As shown in the development view in Fig. 5, contacts 46 and 47 each cover a tooth 50 and are spaced by two uncovered teeth.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5, 8 and 9, the movable contact 51 includes a hub 52 which is integral with three arcuate, resilient contact fingers 53 which are normally located out of the plane of the hub 52, as shown in Fig. 9.

The hub 52 is integral with three lugs '54.

which are located in the same plane as the hub 52. The contact '51 is rotatably supported by the post 43, and its spring contact fingers 53 are located within the channel 49 of the block 40 and are yieldingly engaged with the stationary contacts or with the serrations 50 which are not covered by any stationary contact. The contacts 46 and 47 are engagedby the end edges 53a of the contacts 53. These end edges are relatively sharp and scrape the surfaces of the contacts 44 and 45, and tend to maintain them clean. I

The movable contact is given a step-bystep rotary motion in a counterclockwise di rection, as viewed in Fig. 4, or from left to right, as viewed in Fig. 5, by a ratchet mechanism which includes the lugs 54, which serve as ratchet teeth, and a ratchet pawl disc 60 having three pawls 61 which are integral with the disc 60 and which are bent away from the plane of the disc, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, and in the development sectional view of the disc 60, as shown in Fig. 5. The pawl disc 60 is rotatably supported by the post 43 and is operated by a ratchet lever 62 also supported by the post. The ratchet lever 62 is provided with notches 63, each for receiving a part 64, bent at right angles from the plane of the disc 60. The lever 62 carries a stud 65 which is engaged by a non-conducting block 66 attached to the rod 25. The lever 62 is yieldingly urged in a clockwise direction so that the stud 65 normally engages the block 66, due to the action of a spring 68 coiled about the post 43 and having an end 69 bearing against the stud 65, and an end 70 passing through a notch 71 provided by the shaft 43. The spring 68 is maintained under compression by a pin 72 passed through suitable holes in the post 43, which are located at right angles to the notch 71. The spring 68 yieldingly urges the parts 62, 60 and 51 toward the terminal block 40, and also yieldingly urges the lever 62 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. The spring 68 assists in conducting current from the terminal post 43 to the lever 62 from which current may flow to the contacts 53.

As shown in the drawings, the stationary contact 46 is engaged by a contact 53 and since only one of the contacts 46 or 47 may be engaged by a spring finger 53 at the same time, the contact 47 will, therefore, not be included in the electrical circuit since it is not engaged by a contact 53. At this time two of the contacts 53 engage bare detents 50. If the rod 25 is moved downwardly until the cap 29 engages the guide 26, the lever 62 will be rotated approximately 60 in a counterclockwise direction. Motion will be transmitted from the lever 62 to the ratchet pawl disc 60 through the tangs 64. Motion will be transmitted from the disc 60 to the movable contact 51 through the pawls 61 and the lugs 54 in order to cause the contact 51 to be moved sufiiciently to, bring the contact finger 53 which previously engaged the stationary contact 46 into engagement with a bare deteift 50. This movement of the contact 51 will bring the middle contact finger 53, as viewed in Fig. 5, into engagement with the contact 47, and the right-hand spring contact 53 into engagement with the bare detent 50 which is nearest the right of Fig. 5. When the pedal member 29 is re- The ratchet lever 62 and the pawl disc 60 will be returned by the spring 68 to normal position, but the contact 51 will remain in the lastmentioned position since it cannot. rotate in a clockwise direction, or to the left as viewed in Fig. 5, due to the engagement of the ends of the spring contacts 53 with the detents 50. Therefore, successiveoperation of the pedal member 29 will cause the-terminal post 43 to be connected alternately with terminals 44 and 45. The terminals 43, 44 and 45 are provided with tapped holes for receiving screws 75 by which wires may be attached.

This type of switch is especially adapted for dimming the headlights of an automobile. When so used, the post 43 is connected with a storage battery, or other source of current, and either one of the terminals 44 and 45 are connected directly with the headlights, and the other one is connected through a resistance coil "with the headlights. It is apparent that the headlights will burn bright and dim, alternately, due to successive operations of the switch pedal 29.

As indicated from the drawings, the ratchet switch parts, particularly the parts 62, 60 and 51, may be made of relatively thinsheet metal in order to reduce the cost of manufacture and to provide a switch which is compact in construction. Since the pedal 29 may easily be subjected to excessivefootpressure, it is necessary that means be provided for preventing the transmission of excessive pressure to the relatively small switch parts within the case 22. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an abutment for the pedal 29 which will limit'the downward movement of the rod 25 after it has been moved sufficiently to operate the switch. In the form of'the invention disclosed, the pedal member 29 will engage the guide 26-when the lever 62 has been moved approximately 60 in a counterclockwise direction. The guide 26 is made relatively strong and rigid so that it will transmit excessive pressure upon the pedal 29 directly to the plate 20 and, thence, to the support to which the plate 20 is attached. Therefore, no matter how vigorously, or with what pressure the pedal 29 is pushed downwardly, the switch parts referred to will not be damaged.

' A washer 80 of rubber or fibrous material is located between the guide 26 and the switch case 22 to prevent entrance of dirt into the switch case.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

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including integral plates at right angles, a cup-shaped switch case having its end wall secured to one oi said plates, an operating rod located parallel to said case end wall and ratchet means supported by the case for producing step-by-step rotation of the movable contact, said ratchet means including a part engageable by the rod, said pedal member engaging said guide after the ratchet part has been moved by the rod a certain distance, in order that further pedal pressure will be transmitted to the mounting bracket and the switch ratcheting mechanism will be time or pedal pressure.

2. An electric switch comprising, in combi-' nation, a cup-shaped switch case, a nonconducting terminal block closing the case and carrying a terminal post extending through the block and into the case, said block having a circular row of detents concentric with the post, stationary contacts attached to the block and juntaposed to certain detents, a switch contact rotatably supported by the post and having spring blade contact fingers adapted to engage the serrations and having ratchet engaging members integral therewith, a ratchet disc rotatably supported by the post and having teeth extending from the plane of the disc to engage said ratchet engaging members, manually operated means for rotating the ratchet disc in one direction to turn the movable contact, and a spring for conduct ing current from the terminal post to the movable contact and for turning the ratchet disc in the opposite direction and for urging the ratchet disc toward the movable contact.

3. An electric switch comprising, in com bination, a mounting bracket, a switch case secured to said mounting bracket; an operating rod provided with acap and slidably supported by the mounting bracket and extending into the switch case; a spring resisting movement of the rod into the case and transterring toot pressure directly to the mounting bracket, stationary contacts and terminals supported by the case, a movable contact rotransmitted to the mounting bracket and the switch ratcheting mechanism will be free of pedal pressure.

4. An electric switch comprising in combination, a mounting plate, a substantially rectangular housing secured thereto and providing an opening at right angles to said mounting plate, a switch back forming a closure for said opening and supporting a switch mechanism within said housing, and a plunger secured to the mounting plate and operable through the wall of said housing to actuate said switch mechanism.

5. An electric switch comprising in combination, a housing, a closure for said housing and means supporting said housing, said closure providing a plurality of terminals, circuit closing means pivoted upon one of said terminals, and a plunger carried by said supporting means for actuating said circuit closing means.

6. An electric switch comprising in combination, a mounting plate, a housing secured to said plate, and a closure member secured to said housing and providing a plurality of terminal studs, one of said studs rotatably support-ing circuit closing means within the casing, and a controller operable upon said circuit closing means also supported by said mounting plate.

In testimony whereof I hereto aifix my signature.

HARRY E. NORVIEL.

tatably supported by the case, and ratchet means supported by the case for producing step-by-step rotation of the movable contact,

said ratchet means including a part engage- 

